


Incredible

by LazyCakes



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Crossdressing, Fluff, Height Differences, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nudity, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, secret meetings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-03-13 20:52:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18948424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyCakes/pseuds/LazyCakes
Summary: Mondo may not be the smartest guy around, but he's pretty sure that midnight visits are for relationships and killings only. he's really not sure which one he's supposed to expect.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Literally nobody:
> 
> Me: well SOMEONE ordered this fanfiction

Mondo startled awake to a soft rapping against his door. He groaned as he stared up at the darkened ceiling.

Whoever was out there had broken the rules the group had set for themselves.

He knew how it went for the last person to let someone in after hours.

But Sayaka was small, gentle...at least, Mondo could take more than her.

And the knocking was still going. Well, he had been struggling to sleep anyway.

No clocks, no windows—he figured it had to be past midnight, maybe one. He rolled out of bed and padded over to the door, pausing when he realized there wasn’t a peephole.

“Who’s out there?” He called through it.

The voice that came back was faint, soft.

“Fujisaki. I’m alone.”

Mondo considered briefly. There was no way that girl could hurt much of anyone, let alone him. Just a few days ago he’d had to comfort her because she had a bug bite and didn’t kill the damn mosquito!

He opened the door just a crack.

“Whaddaya want?” He peered down through the sliver of door, round brown eyes looking back up at him. Chihiro blinked twice, like she was surprised the door had opened, before trembling and talking.

“I need your help. It’s a long story—and I promise, I’m not trying to hurt you!—I just—I can’t think of anyone better suited to help me.”

Help? What kind of help could Mondo possibly be to a programmer? He barely had street smarts, screw computer smarts!

But the way Chihiro looked at him with those wide, pleading eyes, shivering in the hallway, Mondo figured that Chihiro couldn’t hurt him even if she wanted to.

“Alright, in. But we don’t ever tell anybody.” He warned, opening the door wider and stepping back. Chihiro crept in, without her usual tangle of wires, just her student handbook shoved into the waistband of her pajamas.

Speaking of, Mondo felt acutely underdressed, black boxers and a whole lot of nothing else. Compared to Chihiro, a button-up fleece shirt and satiny shorts with little rabbits printed on, socks that had a pattern of 8-bit hearts, he was almost lewdly underdressed. He grabbed a shirt off his desk and offered its chair to Chihiro as he pulled it on. She took it wordlessly, tucking one leg under her body as if to appear taller while seated. Mondo sat himself on the edge of his mattress, resting his elbows on his knees before talking.

“What’s wrong? I don’t know how much I can help, but-“

“-it’s about the secrets Monokuma handed out.” Chihiro interrupted, eyes cast to the floor.

Mondo’s throat suddenly went dry. He couldn’t help but turn to his desk, with his own envelope sitting facedown. “I don’t care about yours. I don’t know, and I don’t need to.” Chihiro said quickly, and Mondo, surprised by the fierceness he’d never seen from her before, simply stayed quiet. Chihiro sucked in a bolstering breath, and as she started to speak, her shoulders slumped.

“My secret doesn’t matter that much to me, and I—you know, I think it might even be a better opportunity to be myself if I’m forced to share it, but I don’t want to be seen as a coward, or a creep, and I certainly don’t fit the bill for what I _should_ be, and you’re so big, and strong, and just—just, _masculine_ , I figured, well, you’d be able to help me more than anyone else, and, and-“

“-Chihiro, slow down, I—you’re not making any sense. How is my being the way I am going to help you?”

Chihiro’s lip wobbled cutely, her whole face flushed. Her heart was racing, Mondo could tell from the rise and fall of her pajama shirt alone how anxious she was.

“I—Mondo, I trust you, I’m trusting you a lot to-“

“-Chihiro. Hey.” Mondo leaned forward and placed one of his hands over Chihiro’s, absolutely dwarfing her slender hand where it rested on her knee. It felt strangely euphoric to be so close to her—close to anyone, really. How long had they been in here, again? “You can tell me anything. I won’t share it with anyone you don’t want me to.”

“That’s the hard part, because I _want_ to share it, all of you deserve to know, but I’m worried the timing will seem strange, and I don’t want you to judge me for anything, and I’m just so scared somebody’s going to kill someone else over these stupid secrets, and if I can encourage everyone to just share then maybe—maybe—“

Chihiro choked and pulled her hand out of Mondo’s, though she didn’t push his hand away from her skin. Mondo flushed suddenly as the gravity of the situation settled on him in a different way, Chihiro so cute and in need of him, pink and lilac pajamas with socks that wouldn’t stay pulled up on her thin ankles, and after all, she trusted him enough to come here in the first place, right?

“It’s okay, Chichi. I’m not gonna kick you out of here or anything. You can take your time.”

“I’m not a girl.” Chihiro blurted.

Mondo blinked, uncomprehending.

“Huh?”

Chihiro tugged out an envelope, not unlike the one on Mondo’s own desk, and handed it to Mondo, who took it blankly. He knew what Chihiro had said, but for whatever reason, his brain just wasn’t connecting the dots.

He opened the paper folded into the envelope, and the sentence within was as simple as his own had been, in the same thick ink.

_Fujisaki Chihiro is a boy._

He looked back to Chihiro, still blank.

“Transgender? You wanna come out?” Mondo tried. He’d heard of that before, that made sense.

Chihiro flushed deeper.

“No, I mean—I mean—“

In a fit of exasperation (and probably panic), Chihiro stood quickly and tugged those pajama shorts until the waistband was level with thigh. As soon as it was clear that Mondo registered, Chihiro pulled them back to their rightful place and sat down again, flushed darker than ever.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“So you want to share your secret before Monokuma makes you.”

“Mhmm.”

“And you want my help to be more masculine before then?”

Chihiro brightened, but only slightly.

“Exactly.”

Mondo flushed deeply.

“I—I’m...I feel happy knowing you trust me. And think I’m manly enough to help.” Mondo stumbled through the words, unsure of if they sounded the way he needed them to. “And—and of course I’ll help! I just—what do you want to do that I can help with?” He asked.

Chihiro stood again, puffing out his chest in a way that was too cute to be manly.

“I want to start lifting weights. And working out. Hard! I’ve only ever done yoga...doesn’t really build muscle.” He deflated slightly upon admitting that. “I know I’m not about to get any taller, but starting to work out, and a haircut, and some different clothes...I think you won’t even be able to picture the old Chihiro when I’m done!” His voice was at full volume for the first time in the night, confidence Mondo had never seen from his slight figure before. Well, it must’ve felt great, to be free of his secret. Mondo almost ached with how badly he wished he could do the same, as easy as that.

“You’re incredible.”

It slipped out before he could stop it, and watched Chihiro deflate back into the demure, painfully shy programmer he was before.

“You’ll help?” He murmured.

Mondo laughed before he could help it, loud and booming.

“‘Course, man! I’m always looking for excuses to pump iron anyway.” He flexed ridiculously.

Chihiro giggled, lightly at first, then heavier, until he was laughing out all the tension from his body, face radiant. Mondo felt lighter; he’d never seen Chihiro so serious, and he didn’t want to see it again.

“I do have to ask, though…”

Mondo rubbed at the back of his neck. “...How’d you get into the skirt habit?”

“Oh.” Chihiro flushed deeply, wavering where he stood. “It’s… I guess a longer story than it needs to be.”

“Well, I’m awake, I’ve got time.” Mondo sat upright, leaning an arm against the mattress behind him. Sitting up straight, he was about at eye level with Chihiro, who puffed out his cheeks as he thought.

“I guess the short version is, it did what it was supposed to.” He looked down at himself, fist in his pink shirt, pale thighs exposed from soft shorts. “Pff...when I was really young, I got bullied. A lot. I was frail, and shy, cried easy, didn’t like what other boys did. It got so bad I had to switch schools, and I thought, if I was being bullied for being girlish, why not just be a girl? Anything to be done with the bullying. So my parents enrolled me in the new school as female, and I got a girl’s uniform, and...it worked. All the things kids hated about me they suddenly loved. And I got...comfortable, with the lie. It’s so much easier to be liked for the traits you’d otherwise hate.”

“I could never hate you. Any part of you.” Mondo blurted before realizing the implications. Chihiro stilled, eyes on Mondo’s.

Mondo flushed, but when Chihiro didn’t break the silence, he decided to continue.

“Frailty...I think you’re just...dainty. And I admire that you’re so delicate and still facing the world. It’s probably way easier to be buff out here.” As he’d spoken, Mondo had taken one of Chihiro’s wrists and placed his palm flat atop his own. His heart raced; Chihiro’s hand was just _too_ small against his own, cold in comparison. “Shy...you just wait until you have something you need to say. You make it matter.” Mondo’s voice was softer now. Did he even know what he was doing? He just knew it felt right.

Chihiro’s eyes were still on his, even as Mondo looked him over. He still wasn’t talking. Mondo slowly lowered the hand that had been holding Chihiro’s to his waist, resting it against his body. Christ, the kid was so _small_ , he had just about half his waist in a hand. He didn’t know what he was doing, he was telling himself somewhere he should stop, but Chihiro wasn’t telling him to, and all he really wanted was _more._ More contact, more time together, more Chihiro.

“And…crying easily is just the sign of a passionate person. You know how much I’m into passion! I don’t think you had negative traits, I just think they weren’t being seen through the right lense. Boy or girl, you’re incredible. I could never hate you. Even if I wanted to.” Mondo fell silent, the quiet between them painfully awkward to him, and he dropped his eyes.

There was silence for a bit, too long, but then Chihiro lifted a hand and settled it on Mondo’s cheek. His thumb stroked lightly until it coaxed Mondo to look at him again, and when he did, Chihiro was smiling that classic, adorable Chihiro smile.

“You’re so nice, Mondo. I’m so happy I came to you.”

Mondo must have looked sunburned from how hot his face felt. What was wrong with him? He’d always admired Chihiro, reserved and polite, and of course he thought Chihiro was the cutest damn thing he’d ever seen, everyone did! Why did it feel like learning his secret made no difference? Why did it feel like it was somehow _better_ this way?

“You know, you had a lot of options...why’d’ya pick me?”

He was still holding Chihiro by the waist. Chihiro’s hand was still on his cheek. Why did it not feel wrong?

“Uh...I’m not that sure. It just felt...right. You know?”

Yeah, Mondo knew.

“Yeah, I do.”

Chihiro smiled again, a grin wide enough to expose teeth.

“I don’t know what to do from here, honestly...just tell me, and I’ll do it!”

Mondo blocked his brain out before it could say or think something wrong from such an invitation.

“Working out requires body love first, baby! Nine hours of sleep at least, plus protein in the mornings. And a hell of a lot of water! You lose a lot when you work out.”

Chihiro nodded along intently.

“Wait. When we actually...get together to work, how do we make sure nobody catches us?”

Mondo hesitated, thinking deeply, trying to make his brain think about anything other than the warmth radiating from Chihiro’s soft body.

“Well, you’re already out of bed past ten.” Mondo pointed out.

“That rule wasn’t made by Monokuma.” Chihiro countered. His hand finally slipped from Mondo’s cheek, resting on his shoulder.

“Then we’ll just have to keep breaking it and trust that nobody else will. Take naps during the day in the least suspicious way possible.”

Chihiro lifted his other hand to his mouth, hiding his laugh.

“I fall asleep during the day as it is, nobody would think too much of it. You might have to make some excuses.”

“Naw, nobody cares too much what the big tough delinquent does with his time in a school, ‘specially compared to a good little programmer who takes naps while the computer does its thing.”

Chihiro shrieked with laughter as Mondo shook him back and forth gently, teasing over his Ultimate Skill like it was a pastime. His hand fisted into Mondo’s shirt to keep his balance, but he overcompensated and slipped forward. Mondo caught him, of course, he was sitting right in front of him, and Chihiro wasn’t that heavy; it was hardly even a catch as much as just being a wall for him to fall against.

Rather than push away, though, Chihiro leaned against Mondo’s warmth. He yawned, and pushed himself from Mondo’s shoulder. His eyes were bleary, and he shivered.

“It’s late. I should go to bed.” He murmured.

“Stay here.” Mondo blurted.

Chihiro stilled, mid-yawn. His face erupted into a deep red. “It’s just--two people are gone because of nighttime trips. I...want you to be safe.”

Christ, how stupid, too much!

“That’s so sweet, Mondo...but...are you sure? I don’t--I’ve already imposed so much…”

“Psh, you kiddin’ me? You’re so small, I’d never even notice you here!” Mondo chucked his thumb under Chihiro’s chin, resulting in an eruption of loopy giggles.

“I...okay. Only if you’re sure.” Chihiro demanded when he recovered.

“Of course I’m sure! I’m sure about anything that helps keep my friends safe! Besides, there’s too much space in these beds anyway.” Mondo tugged Chihiro down, onto the bed, rolling onto one hip to ensure a safe landing.

Even splayed out across the middle of the mattress, there was space enough for someone to sleep on either side of Chihiro. Mondo half-worried he wouldn’t feel Chihiro at all on the mattress.

Chihiro splayed his hands across the sheets as Mondo stood, finding warmth where Mondo slept and moving away from it.

Mondo glanced back from the lights. Chihiro was already curled slightly on his side, knees up, ankles crossed neatly beneath.

He flicked the switch, spiraling the room into darkness, and guessed his navigation back to bed. Mondo flopped down gracelessly, and Chihiro erupted into a last fit of giggles as he no doubt was launched up from the weight of his landing.

Mondo tossed the sheets out, blindly hoping they landed where they needed to, and after a few moments of movement from Chihiro, there was silence in the room.

As Mondo’s eyes gradually adjusted to the tiny nightlight on the desk, Chihiro’s form became clearer and clearer, curled up and with his eyes closed, hands tucked near his chin. His face was squished against the mattress, having forgone the pillow, and he could’ve passed for already sleeping. Mondo adjusted his own pillow and settled his shoulders, and was just closing his eyes when Chihiro’s small hand fluttered across the sheets, in search of Mondo.

“Thank you. For everything.” Chihiro murmured when he found some part of Mondo in the dark (his upper arm). Mondo closed his hand around Chihiro’s as if it were a robin’s egg, terrified he’d crush it.

“I’m always here for you.” He promised.

And when he had said it, he really did mean it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all I'm dead my hand hurts like crazy but I'm still writing fanfiction so

Mondo woke up sometime before the morning announcement. He was disoriented, somewhat, by warmth against his body in seemingly erratic places. 

Then the events of the night prior came flooding back and he jolted slightly. 

Chihiro. Chihiro the boy, Chihiro ready to be an absolutely incredible person and take a threat against his life and  _ grow _ from it against all odds, Chihiro in his bed. 

Chihiro who slept like a starfish.

He was on his stomach, arms and legs sprawled wildly. One of his knees was tucked against Mondo’s thigh, and his arm was out at a stiff angle, across Mondo’s chest, tiny fist still clutched in Mondo’s hand.  He could’ve taken up the space of the entire bed on his own. Mondo found the shocking urge to coo, like he was watching a kitten splay out in the sunlight. Indeed, he was smiling, subconsciously, at the association alone, and still half-asleep, he sought out more of Chihiro’s warmth, slipping an arm under his waist and pulling the diminutive form closer, until he was practically halfway on top of Mondo. Chihiro, asleep, gave a small sound as he was rearranged, snuggling his cheek against Mondo’s chest and settling easily in his new position. Mondo had only a moment to appreciate how sweet it was before fatigue coupled with this new comfort, and he slipped a hand under the hem of Chihiro’s shirt, running his palm in lazy circles against his back as he drifted between wakefulness and sleep. 

It was only when the morning announcement blared to life, the screen illuminating the room that Mondo fully came to grips with what he was doing. The announcement played out the same as always, practically white noise by now, but Chihiro groaned softly in protest of the alarm, snuggling closer to Mondo before his eyes fluttered open and he recognized where he was. 

“Aah, sorry!” Immediately, he pushed himself up and away from Mondo, whose body cried out at the loss. Mondo tried to feign ignorance, yawning deliberately before sitting up slightly. 

“Nah, you’re good...everyone does weird stuff in their sleep.” He scratched at the back of his neck as the announcement stopped, Monokuma’s teeth-gratingly irritating voice disappearing, and the room was once more plunged into darkness. 

“I—I should go quick, before anyone is up enough to hear.” Chihiro’s voice trembled as Mondo felt him move off the bed. His slight footfalls wandered hesitantly to the doorway, and just as he was about to slip out, spoke without waiting for an answer. “Thanks again! Find me in the computer lab after lunch, ‘kay?”

And then he was gone, leaving Mondo in the darkened room. He laid in bed a moment longer, trying and utterly failing to not replay waking up with Chihiro in his arms over and over.

Three people were dead now because they let their emotions get the better of them. Fear and desperation and clouded judgement...Mondo should have known better than to get attached to anyone else in here. If they didn’t kill each other they at least couldn’t stay friends once they got out. If they got out.

_ Oh, god, don’t think like that. _

Mondo rolled out of bed and padded across his room to the light. He switched it, rubbing his eyes, and noticed three things that shouldn’t have been there.

One, Chihiro’s secret envelope was half-open on his desk.

Two, there was a student handbook tangled up in the sheets.

Three, a white and black bear was jumping on his bed.

“Boy, you sure make quick work of getting the little innocents’ guards down, huh?” Monokuma preened, jumping a last time and kicking his legs out so he fell seated.

“You have cameras in our rooms?! That’s real fucked up, perv.”

“Waah?” Monokuma’s cheeks reddened artificially. “Bold of  _ you _ to be designating  _ me _ perv, snuggle boy! I have microphones in all the bedrooms. How else was I gonna know how Maizono bit it?” Monokuma dropped from the bed, bouncing on his toes, and waved around Chihiro’s envelope. “C’mon, what a cutie patootie! And god, he’s infuriating, he wants to be brave! Perfect victim, don’t’cha think? He even offered you a perfect scenario! Late at night, far from others...I know you’re certainly not as brave as him, huh, big biker man?”

“You shut the hell up! I’d never hurt my friends! Any of them!” Mondo was shouting, now, and Monokuma laughed into his paws.

“Whatever you say, little bro. Just keep your hands  _ above  _ the skirt when the cameras are around, yeah? Editing horny teenagers has gotta be the worst part of my job.” Monokuma waddled past Mondo for the door, swatting his thigh as he did. Mondo reeled back to kick the fuckin’ thing, but then Monokuma was gone, and Mondo was alone, again. Probably for the better; Mondo realized almost immediately that he would definitely have regretted kicking Monokuma. 

Whatever. It wasn’t like he had thought about it, killing Chihiro. Not like he already knew how easy it would be, with no apparent relation to one another. Not like he was that desperate. Not like...well. Maybe some things were better unthought. He definitely hadn’t thought if any of it on his own, anyway.

Mondo dressed slowly, eyes on Chihiro’s student handbook where it was half-hidden under a sheet wrinkle. Could Chihiro really risk waiting until after lunch to have it? He was  _ the  _ Ultimate Programmer; technology was supposed to be his thing. Mondo tossed his jacket over his arm and passed into the bathroom to build up his pompadour again. That alone would take up too much time for him to get the handbook to Chihiro before meeting for breakfast! Perfection takes time! Looking cool is a full-time job! 

Well, whatever. He’d figure it out when he needed to. Flying by the seat of his pants only failed him so often. 

 

Chihiro was curled up in a chair next to Aoi when Mondo finally traipsed into the cafeteria, passing a mug of coffee back and forth. Mondo was actually pretty surprised to see that he wasn’t the last one present; before, Junko used to be the only one who showed up after he did. Togami’s usual seat was empty, Kyoko nowhere to be found. Makoto was late, but...that couldn’t really be helped. Kid had a lot to sort through. Chihiro greeted him the same as Aoi, a close-lipped smile and brief eye contact. Friendly, not welcoming. From behind Aoi, Sakura uncrossed her arms, lifted her chin in a familiar nod. Mondo had camaraderie, with her, a silent agreement to protect the smaller students they never needed to speak. He nodded back, and passed into the kitchen without actually speaking. 

It was only when he stood in front of the counter, laid out with breakfast food, that he realized how nauseous he felt. 

Chihiro’s handbook was in his back pocket, present against his body and a stern reminder that everything he’d done, everything he had yet to do, Monokuma -- and whoever was controlling him -- was watching every step. No matter how this motive business turned out, he’d lose. If his secret came out, he’d no doubt end his own life. If someone decided their secret was more important than human life, he had no doubt that he wouldn’t be able to save the next victim. And if he decided he wasn’t ready to kill himself…

No matter what, Mondo would lose. 

“Oowada?” 

Chihiro’s frail hand closed in the back of Mondo’s coat. 

Mondo jolted, hard; he hadn’t realized how long he had been zoning out, and turned too quickly, Chihiro’s hand still caught in his jacket. 

Mondo caught him before he fell, of course, but then he was on his knees in the kitchen, Chihiro draped across his chest, in an embarrassingly loud series of surprised cries. They stared at one another for a single extended moment, but then Chihiro blinked, and flushed, and tried to push away. 

“I’m sorry, I—I—you were just—“

“-It’s alright! It’s—it was my fault.” Mondo held his arm stiff, helping Chihiro to stand, before remembering what he had been worried about and handing over Chihiro’s handbook. 

“I—thank—thank you. Thank you.” Chihiro swallowed his continued apology and took his handbook back. 

Mondo prepared to stand when a cleared throat near the doorway made him jolt up unevenly. 

Togami leaned against the doorframe, observing them inscrutably. 

“At first I was worried I was interrupting something, but then I remembered that this is a kitchen, and, well, not a place to worry about interruption. Got something you’d care to share?”

“Only if you’ve got space alongside that stick in your ass to shove it.” Chihiro snapped, making Mondo and Togami choke almost simultaneously. 

“Fujisaki!” Mondo managed, “it’s okay!” 

But Chihiro crossed his arms and leveled Togami with an unforgiving glare. Togami stared, completely clueless as to how he was meant to respond. Mondo wondered if anyone had ever said anything even remotely close to him. 

Chihiro smoothed down the front of his skirt and sucked in a deep breath. 

“I saw how you poked around Enoshima’s room after she died, Byakuya, and you ought to learn to respect others beyond their net worth.”

“How  _ dare _ you-“

“-Do  _ not  _ forget, Byakuya Togami, that some Ultimates are based on actual skill, not a birthright. Can your Ultimate even aid you in a game where nobody is worth anything?” 

Mondo gaped. Chihiro, soft-spoken, sweethearted Chihiro, was tearing up as he scolded Togami, but out of frustration, not fear. 

And Togami closed his mouth, just like that, and left as quietly as he’d come. 

Chihiro huffed, and it would have been too cute to be taken seriously if Mondo hadn’t just heard what Chihiro had said, and turned back to Mondo. 

“I don’t trust him for anything.” Chihiro all but snarled. 

“Okay, okay! You don’t have to, but do you really want an enemy out of him in such small quarters?” Mondo tried, aware that his voice was cracking and far too high. 

Chihiro laughed, back to his sweet, chiming giggle. 

“He couldn’t hurt anyone no matter how much he wanted to. He won’t risk it so long as Kirigiri is around.” 

Mondo decided not to ask. 

“Being a programmer must make you privy to something I’m just not.” 

“Only computers, Mondo. So, anyway, still on to meet after lunch?” 

Chihiro’s cheeks were full of his addicting smile and Mondo could almost forget how he just witnessed Byakuya being absolutely  _ obliterated _ just from the smile alone. 

“Yeah, yeah, that works great.” Mondo managed, and Chihiro bounced back into the cafeteria easily, leaving Mondo to stifle his laughter into his elbow and try to decipher what Togami could’ve possibly done to invoke such a sweet person’s wrath.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUCK midterms amirite

When Mondo traipsed his way into the computer lab it was well after lunch; he had been pulled aside by Sakura, who wanted to know if the men’s locker room had any weights the women’s did not, and was sorely disappointed to discover that it did. He’d offered to move the weight chair into the hall, but when Monokuma popped up to inquire about the move, decided to quietly slip away. 

He wasn’t too alarmed, then, when Chihiro’s preferred desk was empty, the computer left to render. Chihiro wouldn’t have gone far, with the computer still operating, so Mondo closed the door behind him and made his way through the rows, to Chihiro’s seat. 

He was, though, alarmed when he pulled out the seat next to it and saw Chihiro’s pink Mary Janes under the desk. Mondo leaned forward, saw Mary Janes connected to socks, connected to thin legs. Chihiro looked up at him from under the desk, big eyes red-rimmed. 

“Hey.” Mondo said.

Chihiro gasped out a weak laugh, scrubbing at his eye. 

“Hi.”

His voice was weak. 

Mondo slid to his knees on the carpet. 

“Probably easier to work on the computer when you can see the screen, you know.” He tried. Chihiro laughed again, watery.

“Probably.” He warbled.

Mondo flopped dramatically onto his back with a deep sigh. Looking up, from where he was on the floor, he saw several empty disc cases on the chair opposite Chihiro’s.

“Saw something you didn’t want to?” He guessed. Face hidden in his knees, Chihiro nodded.

“I didn’t know what I was doing...none of the files in this place are labeled correctly. It was just--just a few electronic locks…”

“I mean, we already figured that we can’t know anything about what’s happening...I guess nothing can be a surprise.”

“Mondo.”

Chihiro was on his hands and knees, leaning over Mondo, looking him in the eye. He suddenly had a conviction to him, brow heavy. “I think we knew each other. I think we know each other, and we can’t remember it.”

Mondo looked up at Chihiro, blank. Chihiro sat back on his haunches and hugged himself, starting to tear up again. “I’ve--I’ve been trying not to think about it, been doing other work, but I think these discs were going to be given to us...later. When...when it’s all over, probably. Maizono and Enoshima and Kuwata’s are already gone...and--and--”

Chihiro broke off, whimpering as he tried not to choke. “--and I can’t find mine. I--I think, I think I’m supposed--”

“--Why dontchya just worry about what was on what you did find, ‘kay?” Mondo interrupted, rolling over and placing a hand on Chihiro’s knee, rubbing softly. Chihiro hiccuped, nodding weakly. He pulled himself back into his seat, legs tucked against his side. Mondo leaned over his chair, and he opened the disc already in the dock. 

Mondo blinked a few useless times, like it would somehow help him see what was going on better. 

It was everyone from the school and a girl  Mondo didn’t recognize, all lined up in approximately three rows, in gym uniforms and sporting flags. The first row was Toko, Sayaka, Naegi and Kyoko, sitting on the ground, Leon bent over behind them. They were all smiling, even Toko. The second row had Yasuhiro, then Junko with her arm around the girl Mondo didn’t know, then Celeste, himself, Chihiro, and Kiyotaka, sort of off on his own. Celeste was hardly recognizable, her hair tucked out of sight, and as for himself...he was ruffling Chihiro’s hair, who beamed as he held his flag. He was wearing a girl’s uniform. Sakura was in the back, Aoi on her shoulders, then Hifumi and Byakuya. They all looked...happy.

Mondo shook his head.

“I...I don’t remember this. This never happened.”

“That’s exactly it...I don’t think we have to remember for it to have happened.” 

Before Mondo could ask what that meant, Chihiro switched to the next image.

It was in one of the classrooms in the academy, no metal over the windows, sunlight pouring in. Aoi was crowded into the supplies closet with Sakura, both deeply flushed and tousled. Mondo was holding the door open, laughing, and Kiyotaka was shouting at him, clearly disturbed. At the very front of the frame, Sayaka had Chihiro in her lap, both with their hands over their mouths, eyes wide. 

Chihiro cleared his throat.

“I don’t remember this -- I bet you don't either -- but just look at Aoi and Sakura. They’ve clearly been busted, and they’re not fooling anyone with the way they act now...but why even try to be private if they remember that everyone knows?”

Mondo was quiet, at first.

“I don’t know...I can’t say I’m convinced. I...I would remember this.” Mondo asserts, but his voice was calm. Why was he always so calm around Chihiro? He hardly recognized himself, not the least bit aggressive. At the least, though, Chihiro was no longer crying, too focused on sharing with Mondo what he’d seen. 

Which, speaking of, Chihiro worried his lip between his teeth as he moved to the next image. 

Mondo barked out a laugh before he could help it.

Naegi was flat on his back on a cafeteria table, anxious smile on his face, hands up defensively. A huge, buff dude that Mondo didn’t know was screaming, his feet shoulder width apart, bent backwards and yelling up towards the ceiling. Another guy Mondo didn’t know was sitting at the table, messy white hair and a drink that was miraculously unspilled. Chihiro was leaned over Naegi, clutching a slim, high-quality computer close to his chest, and Kyoko was seated beside the stranger, unphased at the scene before her. Togami was leaned against the windowsill, peering over the book held close to his face. Sakura was leaning overtop of Chihiro, and Hifumi was seated behind them both, glasses glinting in the sunlight in a way Mondo didn’t trust. 

Mondo was standing next to the buff stranger, clapping him on the shoulder.

Chihiro hugged himself.

“I...well, shit.” Mondo finally managed. “I guess...it seems impossible to believe, but--”

The door slammed open. Chihiro jolted to life, closing the program, and Mondo dropped into the nearest seat, wincing as disc cases crunched under him. 

Hifumi came bustling into the room, arms full of several binders.

“Fujie~!” He sang blindly, before looking up and seeing Mondo. “Oh. Hello. Just, uh, just here for the scanner. Hope I’m not interrupting…” He pushed his glasses, already slipping, up his nose. He waddled towards the front of the room, dragging a chair up to the front desk and slapping his binder onto it. Chihiro tucked his chin down, towards his chest, but kept his eyes up. He ejected the disc from the computer, clicking it back into the case. He scribbled something onto a sticky note, stuck it inside the case, then clicked it shut. 

“There’s the music, all in order. Though, I’m not sure the locker room will have a player for it.” Chihiro smiled at Mondo as he handed him the disc, a warm but unwelcoming smile, just like at breakfast. 

“Oh, uh... yeah. Thanks.” Mondo accepted the disc with a raised brow. Chihiro turned on his heel and turned off the computer. He really was an incredible actor, with the way he bounced out of the room. Mondo and Hifumi sat in silence for a moment. Mondo tried to think of something he could say to ease himself out of the room, too.

“Don’t get any ideas, buddy.” Hifumi said before Mondo could think of anything. Mondo blinked, too surprised to be enraged. Was that really supposed to be a threat? With that high, nasally voice? “I’ve spent the last week in here with her, we’re really getting close. Don’t think you can come in here with your dirty biker jacket and think you’re impressing her.”

Mondo shocked even himself by laughing. He normally would’ve landed a punch by now -- why did he not even feel the urge that was all but second nature? He stood, watching Hifumi pout. 

“Yeah, good luck with that. I can guarantee that if I was here for that, it wouldn’t be much of a competition.”  _ Oh, if only he knew. _

Mondo left, still clutching the case he’d been given.

On his way back to the rooms, he passed the laundry, door open. Aoi and Chihiro were within, Chihiro seated on one of the machines as he laughed with the swimmer. Mondo stood in the doorway for only a moment before moving on. No doubt, there was already enough suspicion.

Why was he still somehow so unphased at all of this? How could someone who so proudly showed off his  _ anime waifus _ think he had the right to threaten him, and most of all, how did he not feel the urge to fight back? He leaned against his own door -- he couldn’t even be bothered to pull his keys out -- and closed his eyes. He remembered how Chihiro had looked at him, last night, big eyes full of faith and compassion. He supposed it was because it was so clear to him where Chihiro’s affections lay, even if only in friendship. 

He clicked open the disc case, read Chihiro’s spidery, looping handwriting. 

_ I’ll see you in the locker room. Midnight. _

Yeah, Mondo figured he could swing that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the first picture is actual official art from the Danganronpa team, the others are made up. But they're not hard to imagine, right?

**Author's Note:**

> Finals week: do literally any of your school work  
> Archive of Our Own: Update literally anything else  
> Me: Joke's on both of you I'm starting something new.


End file.
